UConn football notebook: McCombs back on top of his game

Updated 12:20 am, Sunday, November 25, 2012

BACK ON THE ATTACK: By his own admission, tailback Lyle McCombs knows he should have done more this season. There were times, he admits, when he wasn't running as hard as he could have. But that's all changed over the last two weeks and the results have been back-to-back wins for UConn.

"The offensive line is doing a better job and me, personally, I'm running a little bit harder," McCombs said. "I feel that there have been games when I've looked at the film where I could have run harder. I had to do some self-evaluation in order for our team to get the run game going, and we got it done today."

McCombs had a 29-yard burst that set up a Chad Christen field goal to give UConn the early lead. He also had two runs of 9 yards, three runs of 7 yards and a run of 8 yards.

"We fight for each other and I knew I had to fight for my team," McCombs said. "This keeps our season alive because now we have a chance at home to fight for bowl eligibility and that's huge. We beat a top-25 team today. Louisville's a great team, they kept coming back, but we did what we had to do to pull it out."

McCombs, who had 120 yards in the Huskies' 24-17 win over Pitt on Nov. 9, now has 800 yards for the season.

WOOZY WHITMER: Starting quarterback Chandler Whitmer took a hard shot early in the fourth quarter and did not return. With 10:06 to play, Whitmer was pounded by Louisville linebacker Preston Brown, and after being down for several moments, he appeared wobbly when getting up and being helped off the sidelines.

Afterwards, however, Whitmer said he was fine.

"I'm a little woozy but I'm all right. It's football," he said. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I'll rest up and they'll take care of me. I'll be fine."

"He took a pretty good shot," the coach said. "We have to check about the possibility of a concussion."

Whitmer had a rough day all around. He was just 7 of 21 passing with an interception for 72 yards.

Another key UConn player was injured when defensive end Trevardo Williams of Bridgeport sprained his right ankle. He is expected to be fine for next week.

PERFECT: Since missing three field goals and having a fourth one blocked in that overtime loss to Temple on Oct. 13, Christen has been perfect. A 23-yarder against Syracuse, a 50- and 37-yarder against South Florida, a 29-yarder against Pitt and now, 39-, 37- and 30-yard field goals in the upset over Louisville.

"Since that (Temple) game, it was a great lesson learned," Christen said. "I came in with a different mindset and hard work pays off. We worked hard all week and coming off the bye, I'm so proud of this team to put me in that situation and I'm glad I responded well."

The key kick, that 30-yarder in the third overtime to win the game, split the uprights.

"I was pacing back and forth but I was confident," Christen said. "After I made that one to force the third overtime, I knew I couldn't miss today. It feels great."

Christen is 14 for 21 on field goals this season.

MAC IS BACK: He had seen a little mop-up time against UMass in the season opener, but that was it. So it was surprising that Johnny McEntee, instead of Wildcat QB Scott McCummings, took over when Whitmer went down with an injury in the fourth quarter. But it was McEntee who threw a huge TD pass in the second overtime in UConn's three-OT win over Louisville.

"It feels great," McEntee said. "You don't have time to think there, you just have to do what you've been prepared to do. We were all ready to go.

"All year long I've been wondering if I've been contributing anything to this team and just to be able to go in and run the offense. I really didn't have to do much. Lyle and the line did a great job today. It was just nice to contribute for once."